Arthroscopic washout

[Iona_-Uk]

I had one of these when I had a haemarthorosis.

Because I was soooo drugged up on morphine I can bearly remember having it, what would they have been likely to do, I was under for 2 hours.

I never was told what they do when they do this, every OS I've had has avoided my questions!

Iona

[Riosilia]

I'm not sure, but I think what you are talking about is a debridment.  Besically they "clean" out anything that is floating around in your knee (usually it's hylan cartilage, not fibrocartilage that is in your meniscus).  They take a burr and smooth down some of the cartilage on the various surfaces (where there is hylan cartilage).  For example, when you have grade II and III chondromalacia you get this thing that looks like crab meat (I know, very technical terms here) and they take that so it resembles the rest of your white, shinny cartilage.

The reason why they might have been avoiding you is because some doctors can go too far and take too much cartilage out so that you end up with no cartilage and over time that can develop into arthritis.  But depending on the severity of the cartilage, if you don't take that out it might cause more damage.  

I hope this helps.  

~Riosilia

[Iona_-Uk]

Hi Riosillia

Thanks for your reply ynfortunately it wasn't anything to do with any cartilidge.

I had a LR & then I bled into the knee joint & they did this washout which removd the blood & something else, as there was nothing worng with my cartilidge I doubt it was as you say a debriment.

I'm just curious because not one of my OS's have ever given me a run down of what "arthroscopic washout" acually means.

Thanks
Iona

[windbarb]

Iona,

Sounds a bit like what they did in my first scope when I was 13.  All they did was flush saline solution through the knee... kind of like irrigating a wound, only through the holes.   The purpose was to remove bone chips and small debris.  Would that be similar to what they did to you?

Cheers,
Barb

[Iona_-Uk]

I'm really not sure to be quite honest Barb, it may be the terminology is different but the scenario was I had an LR then 10 days later they did the arthroscopic washout because of the haemarthorosis & I remember them saying there was lots of clots in thee & they also had to make more incisions. It sounds like what you had could be the same thing. I hope I can get some clarification some day!

Iona